Set Activity Goals

[GerritV]

From my search results, I learned that the Apple Watch sets the initial Activity goals based on your physics (weight, age...).
Later on, and typically in the weekly reports, the Apple Watch is suggesting me to increase my MOVE goal - which I do.
This brought me from 330 kcal to 480 kcal in less than 3 months.

Strangely enough, it never suggests me to increase my EXERCISE or STAND goals. The EXERCISE goal has been 60' from day one, while I do about twice as much a day in the meantime.

So I wonder:

- Is the MOVE goal perhaps the most important one as far as Apple Health is concerned ?
- Should I manually increase my EXERCISE and STAND goals ?

 

[Graham4723]

Don’t think you can change the STAND goal setting.

 

[Puonti]

@GerritV

I don't know if Apple necessarily sees Move as the "most important" metric, but they might have figured that highlighting something is helpful for the average user. For that purpose "Move" makes a lot of sense.

@Graham4723

All three goals can be set on the Apple Watch: open "Activity" and scroll to the bottom, then tap "Change Goals". It asks for each goal in turn.

You used to be only able to change Move.

 

[Graham4723]

Yes, I was aware of that that but, previously, you couldn’t change “Stand” hence why I said it.
Clearly there has been a change in an earlier version of watchOS.

 

[GerritV]

Thanks for the comments, all clear 👍

 

[GerritV]

Another somewhat related question: how come my Training Goal is limited to 90 minutes?
Notice how the "+" button is inactive in the Condition app.

 

[Silly John Fatty]

From my search results, I learned that the Apple Watch sets the initial Activity goals based on your physics (weight, age...).
Later on, and typically in the weekly reports, the Apple Watch is suggesting me to increase my MOVE goal - which I do.
This brought me from 330 kcal to 480 kcal in less than 3 months.

Strangely enough, it never suggests me to increase my EXERCISE or STAND goals. The EXERCISE goal has been 60' from day one, while I do about twice as much a day in the meantime.

So I wonder:

- Is the MOVE goal perhaps the most important one as far as Apple Health is concerned ?
- Should I manually increase my EXERCISE and STAND goals ?

I noticed the same thing. But the Watch's behaviour doesn't really make much sense:

First, what if I did a very intense workout, but haven't moved enough? Then I wouldn't have achieved my move goal. For some exercices, especially some intense exercices like strength workout, you don't burn that many calories, but it's much more intense than doing 30 mins of cycling.

Yet, with 30 mins of cycling I get more "exercise" and more "move" than with strength training.

Second, I have the feeling that the Watch is also aimed at overweight people. Many people are overweight and most people try to lose, not to gain weight. So basically it's set in a way that it wants to make you move.

I noticed this same behaviour with other fitness or health apps (e.g. nutrition apps).

 

[Night Spring]

First, what if I did a very intense workout, but haven't moved enough? Then I wouldn't have achieved my move goal. For some exercices, especially some intense exercices like strength workout, you don't burn that many calories, but it's much more intense than doing 30 mins of cycling.

Did you try using the Strength Training workout?

 

[Silly John Fatty]

Did you try using the Strength Training workout?

I do, and there's two of them by the way (traditional and functional). But strength training doesn't burn that many calories because you have not many repetitions and big breaks, but it's very tough body-/muscle-/tissue-wise.

Things like walking, cycling, etc. burn much more calories.

 

[Puonti]

I've always looked at Move as a metric of general mobility, intended to combat a sedentiary lifestyle. Cycling for example is great cardio, but generally your upper body movement is limited. By comparison walking (properly) engages the entire body and is good for all those small muscles that help keep you upright.

I imagine everyone uses the rings differently. For me the "Stand" ring and reminders are more about changing posture and taking a break because the Apple Watch can't really tell that I've been standing the whole hour.

 

[Night Spring]

I do, and there's two of them by the way (traditional and functional). But strength training doesn't burn that many calories because you have not many repetitions and big breaks, but it's very tough body-/muscle-/tissue-wise.

Things like walking, cycling, etc. burn much more calories.

Ok, I tried running the traditional strength training workout, while doing my daily meditation, and it gave me 70 cal for 30 minutes. A 30 minute walk gives me about 40-50 cal. Granted, I only walk at a pace of around 30 minute a mile. Do people who walk faster get credited more calories?

 

[Puonti]

Do people who walk faster get credited more calories?

In my experience yes.

 

[GerritV]

In my experience yes.

When studying my own scores, walking faster often results in higher heart rate, which in turn results in more calories burned. So my answer would also be yes, but indirectly.

Interesting comments, thank you all !

 

[Silly John Fatty]

I've always looked at Move as a metric of general mobility, intended to combat a sedentiary lifestyle. Cycling for example is great cardio, but generally your upper body movement is limited. By comparison walking (properly) engages the entire body and is good for all those small muscles that help keep you upright.

I imagine everyone uses the rings differently. For me the "Stand" ring and reminders are more about changing posture and taking a break because the Apple Watch can't really tell that I've been standing the whole hour.

That sounds weird, mine definitely can. Maybe it’s not well calibrated?

And I agree on the rest you wrote.

Ok, I tried running the traditional strength training workout, while doing my daily meditation, and it gave me 70 cal for 30 minutes. A 30 minute walk gives me about 40-50 cal. Granted, I only walk at a pace of around 30 minute a mile. Do people who walk faster get credited more calories?

You need to pause the traditional strength training in the breaks otherwise it gives you wrong data. And when you do this it’s much less than walking.

And walking faster of course increases your heart rate, and therefore burns more calories, but your watch also knows your arm with the watch on it is moving faster and that the watch itself is moving faster through time and space and doing a bigger distance than it you walked slowly, so it will definitely show more burnt calories.

 

[Puonti]

That sounds weird, mine definitely can. Maybe it’s not well calibrated?

Unknown - if it didn't remind me (and it doesn't always do that, either), I can easily work for a couple of hours before I realize I've missed credit for standing.

 

[Silly John Fatty]

Unknown - if it didn't remind me (and it doesn't always do that, either), I can easily work for a couple of hours before I realize I've missed credit for standing.

Mine didn't remind me either for a while. I don't remember what I did, but I changed some things in the settings and now it works.